Vegetable grater and masher.



PATENTED JUNE 16. 1903.

w E. HBMSTRAM. VEGETABLE GRATE-R AND MASHER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented June 16, 1903.

EDWARD HEMSTRAM, OF GREATFALLS, MONTANA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 731,362, dated June 16,1903.

Application filed January 16, 1903. Serial No. 139,186. (No model.) I

*graters, and mashers, and particularly to screw-fed machines of thisclass.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine of this characterwhich shall be simple of construction, durable in use, comparativelyinexpensive of production, efficient in operation, easily cleansed, andone in which provision is made for scraping the feeder and preventingpacking of the materialin the hopper.

With this and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts,as will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed outin the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of myimproved vegetablegrater. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same,showing in full and broken lines the operation of the scraper. Fig. 3 isa vertical cross-sectional view. Fig. 4: is a detail view of the scraperdetached.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1represents the bar rel or cylinder of the machine, in which is lo cateda spiral screw-compressor 2, fixed to a shaft 3, which is journaled atits rear end in a bearing 4:, formed in a removable cap 5, havingbayonet-slot connections 6 with the rear end of said barrel or cylinder.The cap 5 thus closes the rear end of'the cylinder. The forward end ofthe shaft has a journal 7, which turns in a bearing 8 in acap orgraterhead 9, having one or more bayonet-slot connections 10 with theforward end of said cylinder and forming a closure for the said end ofthe cylinder and a grating member cooperating with the spiralcompressor. The

outer end of the journal 7 is screw-threaded to receive a nut 11, bymeans of which the shaft 3 and the compressor are held in position andadapted to turn or rotate without backward or forward movement in thecylinder, as hereinafter described. By removing the nut 11 and cap 5 thecompressor may be withdrawn from the barrel or cylinder, so as to allowthe parts to be thoroughly cleaned. A crank 12 is applied to the rearend of the shaft 3, whereby the same may be rotated to cause the screwto feed the vegetable or other substances to be mashed or grated towardthe head 9.

The forward portion of the barrel 1 is provided with longitudinal ribs13, which form surfaces against which the edges of the forwardconvolutions of the feed-screw 2 are adapted to impinge and constitutewear-surfaces, by means of which a close connection is afforded betweenthe screw and forward portion of the cylinder, the said ribs giving thenecessary grip to the screw to secure a positive feed at the point wherethe material is being forced through the head 9. The head 9 is formed,as shown, with openings for the outlet of the material. The cylinder isprovided with an ordinary form of flaring hopper 14, in which thematerial is placed and through which it is fed to the interior of thecylinder.

An essential feature of my invention consists in the provision of ascraper for preventing the material under treatment from sticking to theforward convolutions of the feedscrew or compressor, and thus preventingsaid material from crowding or packing at the forward end of themachine. This scraper consists of a blade 15, extended in a directionlengthwise of the machine and connected to a head 16, adapted to slideagainst the inner surface of the wall of the cylinder. From this headextends a screw-threaded shank 17, which projects upward and outwardthrough a longitudinal slot formed in the upper portion of the wall ofthe cylinder and passes through a reciprocating guide-bar 18, havingdovetailed edges sliding in a dovetailed guideway 19, formed on theexterior of the cylinder. A clamping-nut 20 is applied to the shank 17and draws the head 16 up against the inner surface of the cylinder andclamps the guide-bar 18 with a desired force or friction against thewalls of the guideway 19. The guide-bar 18 is provided with a lug orprojection 21, against the forward side of which bears the free end of aplate or ribbon spring 22, fixed at its opposite end to the front wallof the hopper 14. This spring exerts its energy against the forwardmovement of the guide-bar and scraper and serves to return the same totheir normal positions.

In operation the vegetables to be grated, mashed, or otherwise treatedare placed in the hopper and the crank rotated. The spiral compressorengaging said vegetables will force them downwardly and forwardly intocontact with the head 9, which head, according to its construction, willgrate or otherwise act upon the vegetables and discharge them at theforward end of the cylinder or barrel 1. The normal position of theparts is shown in Fig. 2, from which it will be seen that the scraper 15normally bears against the front side of the second spirally-curvedportion or convolution a of the compressor 2 in rear of the head 9. Whensaid compressor is rotated to the right, the scraper 15 removes thematerial sticking to the front surface of said convolution aand is thenforced by the spring 22 rearwardly through a slot 1), formed in saidconvolution. As the compressor continues to rotate the scraper remainsinactive between the convolution a and the spirallybent portion orconvolution c of the compressor in rear thereof until the rear portionat of the spiral member a is again brought into contact with the scraperthrough the revolution of the compressor, when the edge of the scrapercontacts with said portion at and removes the material therefrom. Thisaction is continued until the scraper again reaches the slot 1), when itis again projected rearwardly of the portion a by the spring 22. It willof course be understood that in the operation of the parts as justdescribed the forwardly projected or advancing portion cl of thecompressor will exert pressure on the scraper 15 and force the sameforward, the shank 17 sliding in the slot of the barrel to accommodatethis movement against the tension of the spring 22, until, as beforestated, the scraper-blade again comes into register with the slot 1),when the spring will react and force the scraper rearwardly, thusprojecting it through the slot 17 in the manner previously described. Bythis means the Various changes in the form,proportion,'and.

the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departingfrom the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of thisinvention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine-of the character described,

.the combination with a barrel, and a spiral compressor operatingtherein, one of the convolutions of said compressor being formed wit-h aslot, of a scraper movable longitudinally within the barrel andcontacting with the compressor and adapted to move forwardly undertheaction of the same, and conforming to the surface of a portion ofsaid compressor, and a connection between the scraper and barrel,yielding to the forward motion of the scraper and adapted to project itbackward through the slot, substantially as described.

- 2. In a machine of the character described, the combination with abarrel, of a spiral compressor operating therein and having one of itsconvolutious provided with a slot, a scraper movably mounted to traversethe slotted convolution of the compressor and adapted to be projectedrearwardly thereof through said slot, and a spring opposing resistanceto the forward movement of the scraper under the action of said slottedconvolution, and adapted at the end of such movement to project itrearwardly through said slot, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

EDWARD HEMSTRAM.

Vitnesses:

EUGENE PRIOR, R. E. WILLIAMS.

